


The words of a man's mouth are deep waters

by canadino



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28588641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadino/pseuds/canadino
Summary: Tsumugi, the water god, swims through the conundrum of a crush.
Relationships: Takatoo Tasuku/Tsukioka Tsumugi
Kudos: 20





	The words of a man's mouth are deep waters

**Author's Note:**

> Only the avatar, Izumi Tachibana, mastered all four elements.

When Izumi reached Heaven’s Stage, she found she was the last to arrive. In her defense, they were meeting in the very heart of the region, a flat expanse of smooth rock with a clear view of the skies. Folklore said that the gods of old had descended and created the four countries at the Stage, protected by vast fields, rolling desserts, thick forests, and chilly tundra. It was, by tradition, only expected that the next generations of gods would meet at Heaven’s Stage to consider the future of their land. As a member of the spirit medium Tachibana family, Izumi found her schedule constantly packed between mediating disputes between local gods and navigating the complicated politics of the gods in adjacent jurisdictions. But the gods of her homeland were kind and understanding and would not think badly of her for being late - in fact, it seemed they were deep in discussion amongst themselves and barely seemed to notice her tardiness. 

“I’m sure everyone involved would understand if you talked it all out,” Sakuya said, soothingly patting Tenma’s shoulder with a deeply reassuring smile. With a demeanor as soft as the gentle winds blowing through Haru Country, the wind god was impossible to clash with. Izumi knew she had nothing to worry about with him, though his trusting nature and aversion to conflict did necessitate some intervention when his borders were being threatened. 

Tenma, the fire god with hair as bright as the summer sun, was sitting cross-legged with his head in his hands. “Talking isn’t going to make anything less uncomfortable,” he grumbled, speaking more into his clothes than into the open. Natsu Country stretched along the coast and Tenma smelled like the sea. “What do you do when you ask someone to go with you to the third night of the Festival of Seasons...and they say they’ve already asked someone else? But then they also want to go with you too? Does that not sound weird to you guys? The third night is for couples, not packs of friends.” 

“The people of Aki Country will stop at nothing to get what they want,” Banri said proudly, as if completely divorced from Tenma’s plight. Izumi suspected they were talking about Taichi, one of the earth god’s human retainers who lived close to the border between Aki and Natsu Countries and kept friends in both. Banri and the members of his temple tended to be pretty independent of each other, but it really did take a pack to oversee the harvest every year. “I’m proud of that boy.” 

The remaining god only sat and listened with a disarming smile that could match Sakuya’s. Though their generation was new, Tsumugi was the oldest of the group and had naturally settled into a more mature role in their dynamic. Still, Izumi suspected it was not from disinterest that Tsumugi preferred to observe; while wise and adaptable, a small ripple could make the water god endearingly flustered. Izumi heard from her father that the previous generation could be quite willful; she was grateful to have two agreeable angelic gods in her cohort. “Ah, welcome,” Tsumugi said, greeting her first. 

“Thanks all for waiting,” Izumi said. 

Their second meeting of the year went smoothly. At the cusp of summer and fall, the annual weeklong Festival of Seasons was the main point of discussion. While the four countries celebrated their own local traditions, the Festival of Seasons allowed for a cultural exchange at Heaven’s Stage. Normally a holy place that saw few visitors in any other part of the year, the seven day festival required coordination of set-up, activities, and massive clean-up of the vast space. “Planning doesn’t get easier even though this isn’t our first Festival,” Sakuya sighed. 

“It really does need all our focus,” Banri agreed. “So we can’t be getting our heads lost in the clouds thinking about things like crushes.” He elbowed Tenma, in order to further emphasize his very directed point. “Don’t you agree, Tsumugi?”

Tsumugi blinked. “Ah, yes, of course.” He softened as Tenma sputtered indignantly. “But it can be hard to distract from a crush. You understand, Banri?”

“Er...sure, I guess. I wouldn’t think you’d say something like that. Say! Miss Medium, do you have a crush on anybody?”

“I thought you said the Festival needed all your focus so you couldn’t be thinking about things like crushes,” Izumi said. Banri huffed at the rebuke, though he turned his attention to a discussion with Sakuya on transporting and keeping fresh plants from their fields. Izumi met Tsumugi’s eyes and smiled, from an adult to a fellow adult. The nervous way he fumbled before smiling back warmed her heart. 

Banri was right that they did not have much time before the Festival of Seasons, so it wouldn't be right to be distracted now by silly things. Still, Tsumugi found himself deep in thought on his way back to his temple in Fuyu Country after bidding the other gods farewell. Children were so bold, he mused, carefully watching his steps so he did not accidentally trample an unsuspecting plant. Tenma had bravely asked the person he was sweet on to a festival date. While the others might have expected him to say some wise things about young love, the truth was that he couldn’t contribute because he was barely at that point himself. He could learn from the others if he’d asked, but it felt embarrassing to admit that he hadn’t moved past the wistful watching-from-afar stage. Azuma was sweeping the steps as Tsumugi returned. 

“Welcome back,” Azuma greeted, bowing his head respectfully. Tsumugi laughed in spite of himself; Azuma was older, in terms of how long he’d been managing at the temple, so it made Tsumugi feel self conscious to be the god that resided over the place. “From your cheery disposition, the meeting went well?”

“Ah...yes, well there’s a lot of things to plan for the Festival but the others are very energetic.” 

“You’re quite energetic yourself.” Azuma tended to lead ceremonies, so it was unusual that he was outside doing menial labor. It was not his preference. “Ah, that young one came while you were out. He’s finishing up a deep cleaning of the main worship area; he’s gotten Homare and Hisoka to help with the floors, miraculously.” 

“The young one…” Before Tsumugi could finish his thought, Tasuku Takato spotted Azuma and jogged over. 

“Yukishiro, we’ve finished so you can come back inside.” Surveying the path, Tasuku held his hand out. “Give me the broom; I’ll make short work of what remains.”

“But I’ve been diligently sweeping away the dirt,” Azuma said, though he handed over the broom without resistance. Tasuku sighed. “Although I haven’t done the steps themselves. I’m no good with uneven surfaces...I get light-headed.”

“Honestly…” Tasuku swallowed another comment. “When will the god return? I’m hoping to clean out the greenhouse but I know I shouldn’t touch the plants without him around.”

Azuma glanced over to Tsumugi, or where Tsumugi had been standing only moments before. Tsumugi had not moved, but he had turned himself invisible and as clear as a mountain stream. “Ah...he might not be back before you need to return home...but I’ll relay it to him to organize his plants so you can handle the heavier things.” Tasuku did not hide how he felt put-out; knowingly in the presence of the god, he might have kept his expression more neutral, but he had since given up on extending his patience to the more eccentric members of the Water Temple. 

“I haven’t seen the holy god the entire time I’ve been a retainer here,” Tasuku said. “Is it something about me that repels him? Everyone else has told me stories about him, so I know he isn’t a recluse. Should I undergo more purification rites?”

Azuma put a hand over his mouth to hide a smile. “The god can be a bit reserved. I wouldn’t take it personally, Tasuku...I’m sure he will reward your patience with his presence eventually.” 

Suddenly realizing his complaint, Tasuku quickly began sweeping the stairs. “Of course, it’s not that I’ll quit just because I haven’t seen the god. He’s busy and I’m just a retainer. Please don’t mention to him that I’m bothered--er, curious about why we haven’t met yet. Never mind.” Tasuku began vigorously moving the broom. Still laughing to himself, Azuma headed toward the main building of the temple, hearing Tsumugi’s soft footsteps trail behind him. 

“It’s cruel to tease him like that, your holiness,” Azuma said when they were safely behind the doors. Tsumugi began to flit back into vision, his cheeks pink. “Surely you can manage even a brief introduction to make him feel like you aren’t avoiding him.” 

“I…” Tsumugi frowned. “I don’t even know what to say.” It would be one thing if it was just a case of a fetching, young new retainer, but he’d known Tasuku from childhood, before he’d awoken as a god. They hadn’t had time to formally part before Tsumugi entered the temple, and then Tasuku had temporarily left Fuyu Country with his family for his father’s work. Tsumugi’s family had quietly moved to the temple after he’d awoken, so it hadn’t been common knowledge that the quiet boy from the neighborhood who liked gardening with his grandmother was actually a spiritual being. For all he knew, Tasuku had written off the boy he’d played with when he was younger - or had forgotten him completely. 

The problem was that Tsumugi had not forgotten about Tasuku, and now that Tasuku had returned and had begun as a retainer for the water god, Tsumugi again had to suppress his hidden feelings. Though, it appeared that they weren’t very well hidden, as Azuma had noticed immediately when Tsumugi snuck peeks at Tasuku all through his entrance rites. Remembering Tenma’s predicament, Tsumugi was inspired. “What if I invited him to the Festival of Seasons with me? That’s a casual way to get to know someone, isn’t it?”

“What a wonderful idea,” Azuma said. 

Unlike some of the other retainers, Tasuku did not live at the temple. After making short work of the stairs and replenishing the incense at the altars, he returned to the retainers’ quarters to change out of his robes to go home. Laid carefully over his clothes was a flier for the Festival of Seasons. There was no note. It was expected for a god’s retainers to attend the Festival, so it couldn’t have been the others who had left it; even Hisoka, the most reticent of the retainers, would have spoken to him directly if he was needed specifically. “Alright,” Tasuku said aloud. “I’ll go with you.” 

When Guy went to fetch Tsumugi for dinner, he found the god in the garden watering the flowers. He wasn’t using a watering can or the hose, and he was humming under his breath as he scattered droplets with flicks of his fingers. Guy allowed himself a small smile; it did his heart good to see the god in a good mood. 

  
  
  
  


He had summoned his courage and left the flier and now Tsumugi found himself hesitating on the outskirts of the crowd, lingering at the edge of the booths. The first night of the Festival was the opening ceremony, where the gods performed a dance to begin the week. The second night involved a procession of the gods’ retainers to present offerings at Heaven’s Stage. The earliest both he and Tasuku would be free to walk the Festival at their leisure was the third night, and there had barely been any coordination between them with their duties taking up much of the preceding few days. But there was one main entrance to the Festival, branching out to the four altars and food booths and games for children. Tsumugi knew he ought to stand in a more noticeable place, what with the throngs of people scattering about. He was dressed in monochrome blue, as forgettable as could be, so unless someone really scrutinized his face, he was certain no one would pick him out to be the water god. There were times he felt underwhelming compared to Tenma’s presence or Banri’s charm or even Sakuya’s sunny disposition, but a god of the people also benefited from fitting right in. 

Now, Tasuku was approaching the entrance. Out of his retainer robes, his broad shoulders and tall stature were more noticeable. He towered over the girls who quickly scrambled to get out of his way. He was looking around, no doubt trying to find him in the mob. Tsumugi opened his mouth to call out to him and his voice died in his throat. It had been much too high of a hurdle to tackle alone; he should have invited all his retainers along. Suddenly, the horrifying thought of awkward, stretched silences stopped him from stepping forward. He hadn’t thought of whether to bring up the fact that they’d known each other when they were younger, if Tasuku didn’t remember him. In fact, they hadn’t even met in person, so this was more and more like forced socialization. Azuma had been right. Perhaps he should have at least said something to Tasuku in the familiarity of the temple rather than rely on this Festival meeting for everything. 

Tsumugi clenched his fist. Nonetheless, it wasn’t right for a god to falter. Water was flexible and could mold to any shape that contained it. After all, he and Tasuku had gotten along as children; they’d played through all sorts of fantasies together and could make up anything on the spot to continue the story. Allowing the crowd to move him closer, Tsumugi readied himself, accepting that a natural greeting would sound better than anything he could rehearse. 

Within earshot, he heard Tasuku sigh. “No way to contact him...guess I should go home then.” 

Tsumugi grabbed his wrist. 

Apparently, it was possible for a big guy like Tasuku to be startled off balance. Blinking, he looked at Tsumugi in confusion. “Who…? You…”

“You just arrived, didn’t you?” Tsumugi said. “It would be a waste to go back home now.” Tasuku was speechless. “You...were waiting for someone, right? How...about I keep you company until whomever you’re waiting on shows up?” And - he had taken a step back after one forward. He would reveal himself later, Tsumugi decided; gods played tricks on humans like that in folklore, so it wasn’t that unusual. It would let both of them lower their guards a bit if they didn’t have the whole god-retainer relationship at the forefront, anyway. Homare had been the one to wait on him during the first night’s dance, so Tasuku would not have had a chance to get a close look at him. “What do you say?”

Tasuku opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “...I guess that’s not a bad idea,” he said finally. Tsumugi dropped his wrist, though the crowds pushed them together again as they went deeper into the Festival. Older people tended to prefer the first few days of the Festival, as it was steeped in tradition; it was later that children and younger people came to play when there were no processions or ceremonies to break up the night. “Here,” Tasuku said, after they jostled around a pack of excited teenagers. He held out his hand. 

Retainers held their god’s hands. Guy offered his when helping Tsumugi up and down the altars. Homare seized his in fits of passion during record keeping, and the written accounts that came from those sessions tended to be flowery and elaborate. Izumi had said that gods of older generations had shied away from direct contact with their retainers. But even Banri, proud as he was, had no problem intermingling with the humans who visited him. Tsumugi placed his hand in Tasuku’s. It was cool and dry. 

“What kind of person are you meeting up with?” Tsumugi asked, his gaze drawing across a booth selling cute charms. “A friend?”

“Someone important.” Tasuku glanced at him. “What about you? Surely you weren’t going to be at the Festival by yourself.” 

“I’m also waiting on someone…” He spotted Sakuya sitting on the lawn with his retainers, holding a paper lantern. “I’m glad to have run into you. I was nervous about meeting them.” 

“Nervous?”

“I haven’t seen them in a long time, so I’m nervous about whether we’ll be able to connect again.” The conversation felt like a dance. “Do you want to get some food? Some of these stalls look tasty.”

“I’ll wait until the person I’m waiting for comes.” Naturally, Tsumugi thought, you wouldn’t want to share a meal with a complete stranger. They navigated through the crowd toward the pond on the southeast edge of Heaven’s Stage. There were less people milling about, smaller groups talking quietly and sitting near the water. Tsumugi thought he saw Tenma near the trees, holding hands with Banri’s redheaded retainer. They were with Yuki, from the Fire Temple. It was dangerous to play in the forests when night had fallen, especially since the lights from the Festival dimmed at the outskirts, but Taichi was confidently leading and Tasuku was gently pulling him toward the stone path across the pond. 

The chatter from the Festival was a murmur now, broken by the sound of the pond. The stars were brighter above Heaven’s Stage. Night skies were clear in Fuyu, but Tsumugi always thought stargazing at Heaven’s Stage was much easier. He felt Tasuku’s gaze on him. They were very close. It was expected, then, with the mood, that they would kiss. 

“I thought you were waiting for someone,” Tsumugi murmured. Tasuku’s lips were still brushed against his. 

“You really must think I’m that thick that I wouldn’t recognize my childhood friend when I see him.” Tasuku kissed him again, his hand firm against his back. “You haven’t changed that much since we were younger. Maybe you got a little taller.” 

“What a coincidence. I was thinking that your knack for hard labor and exercise was just the same as ever.” 

“So is the way you trip over your own feet when you’re doing any sort of organized dancing. You were awful at the partner dancing section at school.” 

“Is that the right attitude to take with your god? I’ll have you know I practiced a lot for the first night.” Somehow, Tsumugi found himself with his arm curled around Tasuku’s. He could feel muscle under the sleeve. 

“My god…” Tsumugi kissed the corner of his mouth. Someone had won at one of the game stalls, judging by the racket behind them. They walked to a bench near the path and sat flush against each other. In the shadows of the Festival, no one would look at them. There was a flash of Tenma’s hair in the trees. “I was wondering what kind of act you were putting on back there. Pretending you didn’t know me. Obviously I had to play along.” 

“I said I was nervous. And I haven’t been avoiding you. Well...maybe I was. I was trying to figure out what to say.” Tsumugi tested the waters by gently tapping his head on Tasuku’s shoulder; when Tasuku didn’t move, he rested his temple. Their closeness pressed their hands next to each other. Tsumugi felt Tasuku take his carefully. 

“When I came back,” Tasuku said, “I looked for you. You’d made yourself scarce when I moved, so it took me a while but a relative of a friend of one of our old neighbors said you’d been living at the temple. You could really make a garden grow and pets loved you but I never thought you’d awaken as a god. I became a retainer hoping to meet you again. So...maybe you weren’t the only one thinking about what to say.” 

“And you won’t stop now that you’ve met me again?”

Tasuku frowned. “I finish what I start.”

Azuma had stayed out much too late, enjoying fine floral distilled spirits from Haru Country and hearty barley drinks from Aki Country. Guy had left early, assisting a drunken and weeping Homare back to the temple. Hisoka had wanted to stay longer, but Azuma knew too late a night would ruin the skin. As he gazed at the moon, bright and full in the sky, he passed Tasuku leaving the temple. Tasuku nodded at him in greeting and hurried off. Azuma thought he might have just missed Tsumugi before the god went to bed, for the garden smelled of fresh, wet soil. The leaves would be covered with dew in the morning. When the gods were happy, fortune was soon to follow. 

Azuma decided not to refrain himself from a small nightcap before settling in. It was a wonderful night, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I had that note in the beginning, but Izumi didn't really play a huge role in this story. I've been wanting to write a supernatural/magical AU for a while and finally struggled to put this together. I really thought I was onto something, thinking about Sakuya like the spring wind and Tsumugi as melted snow. Unfortunately, Greek philosophy already assigned the elements to the seasons, so I guess I'm just tapped into the universe. 
> 
> Trust me, I resisted throwing in more tentaiyuki, my main ship. But I figured my ABOverse was a TTY with a hint of tasutsumu so I needed to equalize it. I don't have the stamina to cram in more than two ships per fic...


End file.
